Indian Constitution: Drafting and Constituent Assembly

Indian Constitution

The process of drafting India's constitution began after India gained independence from Britain in 1947. The country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, presided over its Constituent Assembly, which was formed to draft the new legislation.

Constitutional Assembly

On August 29, 1947, a Constituent Assembly was convened for the purpose of drafting the Indian constitution. This assembly was composed of 284 members who were elected by the provincial legislatures, central legislature, and various princely states. It held its first session on December 9, 1946, with Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its temporary president. However, it took two years for the Assembly to adopt the constitution of India.

Membership

Membership of the Constituent Assembly was diverse, representing different communities and backgrounds. The provinces had the largest representation, followed by the centrally governed regions, and then the Muslim majority areas. There were also representatives from the princely states. The total membership of the Constituent Assembly consisted of the following individuals:

• 299 members from the provinces
• 389 members from the princely states
• 8 members nominated by Nehru

These numbers later changed when some seats became vacant.

Drafting Committee

To facilitate the drafting process, five committees were set up in the Constituent Assembly: the Union Powers Committee, the States Reorganization Committee, the Union Finances Committee, the Provincial Constitutions Committee, and the Drafting Committee. Among these, the most important committee was the Drafting Committee, which was responsible for preparing the final draft of the Indian Constitution.

Members

The Drafting Committee was chaired by B.R. Ambedkar, known as the father of the Indian Constitution. He was joined by seven other members: Fali S. Nariman, N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, Ravi Shanker Shukla, Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyer, Kailash Nath Katju, H.V. Kamath, and T.T. Krishnamachari. These eight men worked tirelessly to create a legal framework that would define the rights and responsibilities of the citizens of independent India.